Renaisance
by ThatSkyWritingPony14
Summary: It's been five years since the Normandy safely crashed in the middle of an unknown forest. Slowly, society is rebuilding itself. And then, Commander Shepard's body is found. Pairing: Femshep/Traynor


_**5 Years Earlier…**_

The last round of bullets fired…The last few bullets that would change everything, end the war and restore peace. She thinks back to her younger years back when she was going through all her training to get into the military; all the rough talk she had to hear from her drill instructors, and all the nights she had to stay up to get some extra practice in to learn how to fire a gun properly. Eventually it all paid off when she made it to the alliance. And then something big was going to happen, the reapers. But no one believed it. No one, except until they found out the hard way. Shepard knew what would happen if she chose to use the crucible, she would die being partially synthetic. But everyone else would be saved. At least the organics would and that's a lot. Even Samantha Traynor would be saved. Even though she wouldn't get to see her or anyone else again, one lesson she learned in military camp that she would never forgot was, _"Peace is not won when all we care about are ourselves. Always be willing to make sacrifices for the greater good."_

Although she couldn't see what was happening since her eyes gave out, Shepard heard the final blasts to victory. The reapers were disappearing and finally this war would come to an end. Samantha remained on her mind. _"No matter what happens, I love you."_ A tear escaped the commander's eye. Guilt rushed over her. She didn't make it. So much for the two kids and house with a white picket fence. And the retriever even though Shepard preferred cats over dogs. "I'm sorry Samantha, I love you." She said with her last breath. Then, everything went black.

_**Present**_

"Vem cá cão! Pero!" A teenage girl, 17 years old, chases after a German shepherd who has just stepped into its own world of exploration. Its mother and siblings live in the same village as the girl, Normandy. The girl was only 12 years old when she evacuated an orphanage in Brazil to stay out of the reapers carnage. Of course, still being scared and felt there was a safer place to go, she found the Normandy crash. She's been residing there ever since, helping in rebuilding in exchange for building up a reputation as a recruit. "Cybergedon come back!" The pup rushes through the forest and then freezes in its tracks. The girl slows down as well. "What's wrong boy?" She asks and the dog whimpers. She looked below her and across the river. There. There lay a what looked like a dead soldier only she wasn't dead. Hell, if she were dead she's be a long rotten skeleton from five years ago. "Holy shit…" She climbed down and crossed the rover over a bridge. Cybergedon followed her and then went to sniff the body. He barked twice and the girl then knelt down to examine it. "Healed wound on abdomen, the body looks very skinny, cheek bones showing, hasn't bathed in what smells like weeks, looks like Shepard…Shepard. Shepard! Oh my god!" The girl stood up shocked. Her heart pounded in her chest at the discovery she had made. Yet, she was still unconvinced. "But…You died. Maybe you are dead but no one's seen your body since the explosion. Fuck it, I need to get you up and running!" She dragged the body closer to the river and splashed some water on its face. "Shepard, you gotta get up home girl this is your place. You're not gonna die yet. This is great cause if you really died you'd be down in the dirt but you gotta be alive still…Wait…Synthetics though. No…Cybergedon…Wasn't Commander Monique Shepard only 30% synthetic? That's it…The key everyone just forgot about! Seventy percent wake up!" She splashed water on her face faster until she heard a cough. "Shepard! Shepard you're awake!" Cybergedon barked and wagged his tail as Shepard slowly rose up.

"Ugh...Whatsh fa…Galler sneers…" She could barely talk, it's as if she's forgotten how to.

"Damn girl…You need some food…There are banana trees here let me get you some. I'd get you chocolate but those trees are so rare to find. Cyber, cover her." The pup barked and licked the commander's hand. "My name is Kendrea, I'll help you make your way to your feet. Drink some water you're dying without it." The commander obeyed. She had almost forgotten what water was but she managed to roll over and drink water from the river using her hand. Kendrea made it up the tree and harvested a bunch of bananas. She made her way down and handed one to the commander. "You remember how to eat? Here, I'll show you. Let me unpeel this first. Here, now, open your mouth like this, and then bring the banana close to you. Now, slowly, close your mouth and munch." She did the action and Shepard slowly followed. Her salivary glands awoke and she instinctively remembered how to swallow. She continued to repeat the steps, quicker. "Ei, lentamente! Você não quer sufocar. You don't want to choke." Shepard slowed down and finished her banana. Kendrea sat next to her. "So…Good thing you were only 30%. You're a hero Shepard." She peeled another banana and handed it to Shepard. "You should try my herbal chicken grill when we get back to the village. For now, I'm gonna let you relax. I don't want to tell you anything more only because you're already 30% brain dead. And what is it, human can only use 10% of their brain? I'm gonna collect some resources, maybe find some useful things. Stay here. Cybergedon, likewise." The pup barked and then Kendrea disappeared into the forest.

Back at Normandy, Traynor had just finished another usual day at work. She was a math teacher and taught Algebra 2, academic and honors and pre-calculus. She is one of the highest ranking teachers and had technology been more advanced to her knowledge, she could have brought everything back to normal again. But the only technology and resources available were text phones and radio transmitters. Still, enough to keep the teens social if they wanted too. Education wasn't as advanced as it used to be and it also isn't much of a stringent requirement. Kendrea, a former student of hers refused to go any further than matrices. However, Kendrea had other talents many of which included self-defense and holding a gun. Art, was another one of her talents. Often, Traynor would comment on how if Shepard were still alive, Kendrea would be the first daughter they'd adopt. The war left many children without parents but somehow Kendrea stood out most. On Traynor's desk lay a drawing made by none other than Kendrea herself. It was a family portrait of her, Shepard, and Kendrea. The picture somehow gave a great feeling of hope for Traynor. Hope, and strength to go on. She sighs and then puts the picture back into her messenger bag to head home. Suddenly, someone knocked on her door and through the window she saw that it was Garrus. "Garrus, please come in!" They exchange a smile and he walks in.

"Hello Ms. Traynor. How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing alright, just about to head home and maybe make some salmon for Kendrea and I. Is there anything you wanted to discuss?"

"No…Not really. It's just that next week we're having a festival, a carnival the Brazilians call it out in São Paulo."

"The city area is nice, small buildings but we've accomplished a lot for a species that past five years."

"Yes we have even though we're still trying to get more resources."

"We just need to be up in the sky again soon. We were so airborne back then it's amazing how close we are to the ground now."

"Yes…It is. Anyways, about this carnival, I was wondering if you were going. Seems as if any social event we have you skip out on."

"Yes I do. I feel no need to celebrate just yet." There is a pause as Traynor circulates the room fixing desks and cleaning some things up.

"I feel that Commander Shepard has still not left your mind."

"Of course not Garrus. Look, you and Shepard have known each other longer, I know. But I loved her. And I don't know how she managed to love me as well but she did. Our relationship was just, perfect. Although I always thought it was too good to be true. It was. I had so much planned after the war was over, so much. Kids, a simple house, family life, you name it." Already she was beginning to cry.

"Traynor, if Shepard were listening to you right now she'd want you to move on. Which is why I want you to go to Carnival and meet somebody new. Sure, it may not be that person you'd have a new house with but it'll help you move on."

"I don't want to move on Garrus! Every day since I hung up her name on that memory wall, I died inside. Every day when I slept in our bed I wept because her warmth was missing from the bed. I was alone Garrus. No one would understand me." It went dead silent as Garrus hung his head in shame.

"I'd say sorry but, that wouldn't change anything."

"Nothing can but I haven't accepted it. That's why I am failing to move on. The only thing keeping me alive is the hope to see Kendrea change our little world. She gives me so much life."

"Kendrea is bright and she's learned a lot on handling a gun. Maybe we'll see her be the first to land in space again."

"I sure hope so."

Kendrea returned with some twigs, rocks, bananas, and cashews. She then opened her backpack and looked for a lighter. "I'm going to set up a fire to keep us toasty even though really that's not necessary. But, I managed to shoot some wild chickens out there. They are huge!" She pulled out two large chickens and set them down. She then dug a pit in the ground and placed rocks around it. After that she placed the twigs and sticks in the pit and lit a fire. Shepard was watching from behind. "How are you feeling Shepard?" She touched her arm shaking it a little for a response.

"Ss-Sa-sad." She managed to say.

"Sad? You should feel happy, you managed to speak. I'm going to go ahead and skin these chickens." She went right to it using a jack knife. Shepard crawled to get another banana and this time, unpeeled it herself. "Would you look at that? You could feed yourself bananas! You'll be up on those feet in no time! Wait until I feed you some protein."

The two chickens were cooked and eaten. After that they sat around the fire staring at it and listening to it crackle. "How…How did I not die?" Shepard mumbled.

"I'm sorry?"

"I lived…The crucible…I'm not dead."

"Thirty percent of you is. You're still 70%."

"I should be dead."

"No you shouldn't. Shepard, you saved so many lives. Hell, had it been me to make the choice I would have fucked up. You saved so many galaxies. You have every right to live."

"I sacrificed myself for greater good. No one, I think, remembers me."

"We do actually. Remember Samantha Traynor?"

"Samantha?" Her face lit up.

"Yes…Poor girl still hasn't gotten over you. I try to tell her to let it go but…She doesn't. I'm glad she fucking didn't." Shepard tries to stand but topples left and right. "Hey chiquita não se movem! Sit down!" Shepard obeys and takes some time to register new memories returning. "You two were partners in crime I guess."

"I want to see her and apologize for leaving."

"I don't think you have to commander. You shouldn't at least." Cybergedon climbed into Kendrea's lap and began to fall asleep. "Get some rest, we're going home tomorrow. All of us." Shepard wanted to ask more questions but so many memories were returning. Instead, she leaned back and looked up at the stars. Slowly, she fell asleep.


End file.
